12 Venezuelan national football team players tested positive for coronavirus a day before their Copa America opening match

Today, Saturday, the Venezuelan Ministry of Health announced that 12 players in the national football team have been infected with the new Corona virus.

And the agency “Agence France-Presse”, according to the ministry, that tests showed that 12 of the team’s players were infected with “Corona”, a day before they played the opening match in the “Copa America”, which is hosted by Brazil.

In the latest bad news for the troubled tournament, the health department in Brasilia, which is due to host the kick-off match on Sunday, said it had been informed of the injuries on Friday night from the South American Football Confederation, according to “Reuters”.

#عاجل: كوبا أميركا: اصابة 12 لاعبا بكوفيد-19 في صفوف منتخب فنزويلا (وزارة الصحة)#فرانس_برس

— فرانس برس بالعربية (@AFPar) June 12, 2021

The tournament, hosted by Brazil, is being held for the second time in a row, despite concerns about the health situation in the country due to the exacerbation of the Corona virus pandemic in the country.

Brazil is scheduled to start its campaign in Group B against Venezuela at Mane Garancia Stadium on Sunday. The second group includes Colombia, Ecuador and Peru as well.

Argentina opens its matches at Nelton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro against Chile on June 14. The group also includes Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay.

The semi-finals will be held at Nelton Santos Stadium on July 5 and Mane Garrincia the following day.

The Maracana will host the final match, the only one in this stadium in the tournament, on the 10th of July.

Press reports indicate that the majority of Brazilians refuse to host the tournament, in light of a third wave of the “Corona” epidemic that kills about two thousand Brazilians daily.

The epidemic killed nearly 480,000 people in the country, becoming the second deadliest country after America.

Epidemiologists warn that Brazil is currently facing a new wave of cases of the Corona virus, and they say that hosting a major international sporting event may make matters worse.

The Brazilian government has drawn up a detailed health protocol, and all matches will be played in empty stadiums, including the final of the tournament on July 10 in Rio de Janeiro.